Broken Toys

In my neighborhood, there is a beautiful park that my son and I like to go to after dinner. We’ve been going to this park since he was just a baby. In the park, there are dozens of toys that have been generously donated by neighborhood families for all the kids to share and play with. Because it’s an open air park and children are children, some of those toys have a tendency to break and those toys are put off to the side (for what reason I’m not really sure) in a little fenced in “Broken Toys” area. Here is the broken toys area with its beautifully hand-painted notice.

the sign

Upon closer examination of the sign, there is a neighborhood parent’s response to that benign message in much smaller, less artfully crafted font.

the response

It reads:

“This is not a park rule. Some toys are still able to be played with safely. Please allow parent’s discretion. Thank you (smiley face).”